The Bears’ secondary has been turned over enough this offseason that just about every rep matters, and Jaylon Jones is one of the players with the most to prove.
Chicago lost four starters from last year’s team, and the cornerback room took its share of the hit. Nahshon Wright and C.J.
Gardner-Johnson are gone after playing key roles when injuries hit Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon. The Bears did keep a good chunk of their cornerbacks together and added Cam Lewis in free agency, but the spot still comes with questions.
Jones is back in the mix after re-signing with the Bears this offseason, and he could be one of the more overlooked names to watch when camp opens. For much of his time in Chicago, he has been more of a special teams piece than a defensive fixture, especially on kickoff coverage. Over four seasons, he has put together 101 tackles, four pass deflections, two forced fumbles, one tackle for loss, and one quarterback hit in 56 games.
Last year gave him a little more of a look in the secondary. Jones finished with 16 tackles and one forced fumble in 15 games, including one start, while filling in during the injury stretch at cornerback.
This summer, the door may be open a little wider. Kyler Gordon is still working through his injury, and Lewis also missed time during OTAs, which created a chance for Jones to get first-team snaps in the slot.
That doesn’t mean his roster spot is safe. The Bears still have decisions to make in the secondary, including a battle at CB2 between Tyrique Stevenson and rookie Malik Muhammad. Jones also has to keep an eye on Terell Smith, who is back after missing time last season because of injury.
So Jones heads into his fifth NFL season with a real opportunity in front of him, but also with the pressure that comes with it. If he can’t raise his level, this could wind up being his last training camp in Chicago.
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